Arts & Culture

The City of Columbia is quickly becoming a hot spot for nightlife and an arts and music scene that has exceptional cultural, artistic, and leisure opportunities that enrich the quality of life, contributing to a vibrant region.

Columbia’s arts and culture scene continues to grow, cultivated with the support of a host of non-profit arts organizations, Columbia citizens and the Columbia Arts Council.
Columbia leaders know that arts and cultural investments make cities great places to live and visit, and more attractive for economic development. Their wisdom has been supported by recent national studies that have found that cities with these types of community and economic benefits instill a greater sense of community pride in citizens and promote a distinct sense of place among citizens, business owners and visitors, often resulting in healthier and more robust economic activity.

The City has established historic zoning overlays to protect historic and cultural assets that include several distinct neighborhoods such as the historic downtown commercial district, the arts district and four residential historic districts.

The Columbia Arts District (CAD) was created to provide a haven for artists to live and work. The CAD is located from around the South Garden/High Street area, immediately adjacent to Downtown Columbia. For an overview, see this map showing Columbia's arts and cultural historic districts in and around Downtown Columbia.
On the Arts & Culture webpage and sub-pages, you will find resources for Columbia arts & culture activities/programs, and key Columbia arts and cultural institutions, including the Columbia Arts District.
For more information, contact Kellye Murphy, Marketing & Tourism Director and Columbia Arts Council Staff Liaison at (931) 560-1575 or kmurphy@columbiatn.com.